


Crossroads

by bubblygoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Canon Universe, Gen, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 20:59:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14962082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblygoo/pseuds/bubblygoo
Summary: “What’s your number?” the boy asked.  “I’m fifteen.”“Twenty.”“You’re over there then,” the boy said, pointing.  “Good luck.”“You, too,” Jongdae said.  The boy nodded and began to walk away.  “Wait!”  Jongdae scolded himself for forgetting his manners.  “Thanks for coming to get me.  I’m Jongdae.”The boy’s face lit up.  “I’m Baekhyun.”





	Crossroads

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much to Abby for the beta!

The train ride from Oido to Seoul was a little more than an hour. Jongdae had made the trip only twice before, and this was his first time going alone. Jongdae had refused his mother’s offer to go with him: she had to work, and he didn’t want her there in case things went poorly.

Jongdae’s father was sitting at the dining table, pretending to read the newspaper as Jongdae hugged his mother goodbye. Jongdae and his father had argued the night before, and things were still tense between them. Jongdae wished his father goodbye and received a grunt in response. It was more than he had expected.

On the train, Jongdae listened to music. He was between things at the moment, having been rejected from his preferred universities. He probably should have used the time to study for the entrance exams again, like his father wanted him to, but Jongdae hadn’t brought any review books with him. He only had his wallet, his cell phone, and his music player.

The Seoul sky was cloudy when Jongdae got off the train and walked to the audition site. As he stepped through the doors, he saw about two dozen other people waiting. They all looked younger than him, boys and girls too young to be called men and women. Some were dancing, while others were singing. Some had brought instruments. Jongdae didn’t even have a pen and had to borrow one at the registration table.

Jongdae was in the second group, so he had some time before he was going to be called in. He left the main hall and wandered down a deserted hallway. His palms were clammy as he braced himself against the wall, and he was hit with a sudden bout of nerves. He warmed up softly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. After he was done warming up, he put his earphones in and turned the volume up to block out all other sound. 

His singing teacher had chosen his audition song because it showed off his strengths. Jongdae went along with it because he liked the song, but he clung to his singing teacher’s words now, hoping that they were true. Jongdae closed his eyes and sang along to the track. He probably didn’t sound great, but the music swept away some of his stress, and by the time the song was over, he felt better. He replayed the track and sang again, a little louder this time, with the volume turned down enough for him to hear himself.

“—excuse me?”

The song ended just in time for Jongdae to notice that he was no longer alone. He took out his headphones and turned around to see a boy around his age. He had a cute face with small eyes that were bright and lively.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you,” Jongdae said.

“We’re about to start,” the boy said. “Come on.”

Jongdae followed the boy down the hallway and back to the main room. The others were lining up by number.

“What’s your number?” the boy asked. “I’m fifteen.”

“Twenty.”

“You’re over there then,” the boy said, pointing. “Good luck.”

“You, too,” Jongdae said. The boy nodded and began to walk away. “Wait!” Jongdae scolded himself for forgetting his manners. “Thanks for coming to get me. I’m Jongdae.”

The boy’s face lit up. “I’m Baekhyun.” 

They filed into the audition room. There was an elevated stage, and in front of it was a long table where the judges sat. On the table was a miniature tripod with a mounted camera.

Jongdae sat in a chair behind the judges along with the others. One of the people at the table stood up to address them, reminding them that there was to be no recording, and that they were to only sing through the first chorus of their song.

Everyone was nervous, and it showed. People sang off-key, stood stiffly, and answered questions with stutters and slips. Watching from his seat, Jongdae wondered if he would fare any better. 

Eventually the judges called Baekhyun’s number. He walked up to the stage and faced the audience, giving the judges a smile that seemed to make the room brighter.

“Why do you want to become a singer?” the judges asked Baekhyun.

“Singing is my passion. I love music and I want to share that love with everyone. I also love to entertain and make people happy, which is why I want to be an idol,” Baekhyun said. It was the best answer given so far: confident but not arrogant, genuine but not foolish.

“What is your biggest weakness?”

Baekhyun bowed his head for a second before looking up with a wry grin. “Dancing,” he said, making the judges chuckle.

With the brief question and answer session over, Baekhyun started to sing. He chose an emotional ballad from the eighties, a slow, sad song that contrasted with the cheerful tone of his interview. It became obvious that while everyone was nervous, including Baekhyun, his talent shined through nonetheless, bright and beautiful. He took everyone’s breath away.

Only when Baekhyun finished did Jongdae register that the judges had allowed him to sing through the whole song. They had cut the others off at the end of the first chorus, like they had warned in the beginning. Still, it was disappointing that Baekhyun had to end at all.

Those who had finished were sitting in the back of the room. As Baekhyun made his way there, he passed by Jongdae, and it took all of Jongdae’s will not to turn around and watch him go. Baekhyun’s face was serious and stiff. Jongdae wondered what he was worried about.

There were four people after Baekhyun before it was Jongdae’s turn. They paled in comparison to Baekhyun, but Baekhyun had emboldened them to be more honest and daring in their answers and their performances. Even the judges were more engaged. 

At last they called Jongdae. His hands were sweaty as he went up and faced the judges and the others behind them. He didn’t let himself look at anyone but the judge directly in front of him.

“What qualities do you have that will help you succeed as a singer?” asked the judge.

“I love music. If I am chosen, I’ll work hard every day to study music and be a better singer,” Jongdae said. A handful of others had said the same thing before him, but he wasn’t going to change his answer now. He didn’t have anything else to say.

The judge nodded. “You can start.”

Jongdae took a deep breath and swallowed the saliva in his mouth. Adrenaline coursed through him, making his blood pound. He always got this way before an important performance – the rush he got from performing was like no other feeling. It made him forget about everything except the song that he was about to sing.

The judges didn’t stop him after the first chorus, so Jongdae kept going until he finished the song. There was silence when he was done. Jongdae looked at the judges, feeling awkward and self-conscious.

“Thank you,” said the judge in front of him at last. She cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses. “We’re going to play a track. Please dance along to the beat as best you can. It says on your application that you have no dance experience. That’s fine; just do your best.”

Jongdae’s best dancing was still not very good. The judges were merciful and only made him dance for thirty seconds, but it felt like the longest thirty seconds of his life. He really only had one move, and he always made his friends laugh whenever he did it at karaoke. Jongdae’s friends had encouraged him to do it when he told them about the audition. He felt silly doing it now, but he couldn’t help but smile. Someone in the back let out a bark of surprised laughter but stifled themselves quickly. Jongdae lovingly cursed out his friends in his head.

The judges thanked him when he was done, and Jongdae bowed and got off the stage. He thought he saw one of the judges smiling, but maybe it was wishful thinking.

Jongdae sat in the back along with the others. Everyone was looking at the judges except for Baekhyun, who looked away when Jongdae caught him staring. The judges whispered among themselves for what felt like forever before they finally stood and turned around to address them.

“Thank you all for coming. Please wait outside. We will announce by number whether you have passed this round.”

Jongdae went outside and stood to the side. He was still shaking from nerves, but he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had given his audition everything he had.

“Excuse me, Jongdae?”

It was Baekhyun, standing behind Jongdae with his hands in his pockets.

“Hi,” Jongdae said. “Baekhyun, right? You were really amazing.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. Then he grinned broadly. “I was just going to say the same thing to you. To be honest, I knew you were going to be good when I heard you in the hallway. You sounded even better just now.”

“Thanks. You were really good, too! I liked the song you chose; it really suits you. I really like husky voices like yours,” Jongdae said. He felt his cheeks redden; he had a bad habit of blurting things out. “Um, I mean… Hey, how come you didn’t dance?”

Baekhyun tilted his head. “Oh, that’s right – you came in late. You’re lucky, you know. Some of us have been here for three days already. I danced during my first audition.”

“You’ve been here for three days?” Jongdae asked. Baekhyun nodded, and Jongdae’s stomach sunk. If the judges weren’t sure about Baekhyun after three days, there was no way they would take Jongdae.

“They must have really liked you from your application to call you in now. It’s a good sign,” Baekhyun said.

“My dancing…” Jongdae groaned, remembering against his will. “It was so bad…”

“I liked it,” Baekhyun said, smiling playfully. “If you had seen me dance, you wouldn’t be talking to me right now. When I was done, one of the judges asked me if I was okay because they thought I’d hurt myself.”

Jongdae laughed. “Now I have to see you dance.”

“No way!”

“It’s only fair, since you got to see me,” Jongdae pointed out.

“No, I want you to think I’m cool,” said Baekhyun.

“It’s a little late for that,” Jongdae said. He laughed again when Baekhyun pouted. “How old are you?”

“I was born in ’92.”

“Really? Me, too. I was born in September.”

“May. We’re friends, then. It’s nice to meet someone my age; I feel like a dinosaur around these kids,” Baekhyun said. 

They giggled together. Baekhyun was even cuter when he laughed.

“—your attention, please.”

Jongdae turned around. One of the judges had come out of the audition room. She held a clipboard as she addressed the room.

“If I call your number, please come to the audition room for further instructions. Two, thirteen, fifteen, and twenty. If your number wasn’t called, we regret that to inform you that your audition process has come to an end. Thank you for coming.”

The judge went back into the audition room. There was silence in the main hall for a few seconds before someone broke it with a sob.

Jongdae and Baekhyun looked at each other. They went into the audition room together, along with the other two who had made it to the next round of auditions.

“Please learn TVXQ’s song, ‘Before U Go.’ We have given you the sheet music, a lyrics sheet, and a music player with the instrumental track. Two and thirteen, you are paired together, and fifteen and twenty, you are paired together. If your number is odd, you will be singing U-Know Yunho’s part. If your number is even, you will be singing Max Changmin’s part. You will each be given a room to practice in. Please come back to the audition room in half an hour.”

\--- 

The practice room had a piano in it. Jongdae spread out the sheet music on the piano and played the first few measures.

“You can play piano, too?” asked Baekhyun.

“A little. I’m not great at it,” Jongdae said. He sat down and played just his part. Baekhyun leaned over Jongdae’s shoulder and played his part at the same time. His fingers were long and elegant. They felt soft as they brushed over Jongdae’s, making Jongdae shiver. Jongdae drew his hands back, and Baekhyun played the accompaniment flawlessly.

“Ten years of lessons,” Baekhyun explained. “Courtesy of my mother. I get my hands and voice from her, too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. My dad’s not bad, either. What about you?” asked Baekhyun.

“My mom and dad aren’t really into music,” Jongdae said. 

“Then how’d they manage to make you?”

“I bet they ask themselves that every day,” said Jongdae wryly. “They weren’t too happy when I told them that I was going to do music as a career. My mom came around eventually.”

“Your dad will, too,” Baekhyun said, picking up on what Jongdae didn’t want to say out loud. Baekhyun’s perception was much better than what Jongdae would normally like from a person he just met, but with Baekhyun, he didn’t mind. It almost felt right.

“Thanks. I really hope so – it’d mean a lot to me.” Jongdae had to look away then. Baekhyun had lulled him into confessing something he hadn’t admitted even to himself. 

Baekhyun sat down on the bench, jostling Jongdae’s side. “Then let’s start practicing.”

They took turns playing the piano while the other person sang. Baekhyun’s range was narrower than Jongdae’s, and he had a harder time hitting high notes and low notes. Luckily, most of the high notes were assigned to Jongdae. They were challenging, but that was part of the fun. Baekhyun was a quick study, though, making the most of Jongdae’s amateur advice and improving in even the short time that they had together. 

“Have you seen the music video for this?” Baekhyun asked during a water break.

“No, I’ve just listened to it on the radio,” Jongdae admitted. He wasn’t great at keeping up with music videos in general.

“It’s sixteen minutes long.”

Jongdae’s jaw dropped. “Really? Why is it so long?”

“SM probably wanted them to come back with a bang. It’s only their second release as a duo, after all.”

“Oh yeah,” Jongdae said. He had almost forgotten about that. “I loved TVXQ growing up. It’s hard to believe that it’s just the two of them, now.”

“What do you think about the controversy?” Baekhyun asked casually. He might have been talking about the weather.

“I don’t know much about it,” Jongdae said. “But I guess I feel sorry for the three who left. It must have been pretty bad if they were willing to leave everything behind like that.”

“But you’re still here,” Baekhyun pointed out. “Auditioning for the same company.”

“You sound like my dad,” Jongdae grinned. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to be a singer.”

“Me, too,” Baekhyun said.

“What do you think about it? The controversy?”

Baekhyun drank from his water bottle. “I feel sorry for the two left behind.”

With fifteen minutes left, they sang to the instrumental track. They ran through the song once and then stopped to work on parts that were giving them trouble, with Baekhyun playing the accompaniment on the piano as necessary. 

The song suited Baekhyun’s voice especially well. He was able to tap into the emotions of the song in a way that Jongdae envied. Jongdae wasn’t the most comfortable with R&B, but he felt that he was pulling his weight at least.

“Let’s just rest for now,” Jongdae said when they had five minutes left. “I think we sound pretty good, and we don’t want to overwork our voices.”

Baekhyun nodded, face serious. Jongdae could see the tension in Baekhyun’s broad shoulders.

“Don’t be nervous,” Jongdae said. “You sound great.”

“Right,” Baekhyun scoffed under his breath, his face turned away. “Just my luck.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” 

Jongdae tried to shove his face into Baekhyun’s field of view, but Baekhyun avoided him at every turn. “Come on, tell me.”

“I’m just jealous of you,” Baekhyun said, looking at Jongdae at last with the corner of his mouth curled up. “They’ll choose you for sure.”

“What are you talking about? They’re going to choose you,” Jongdae said. 

“Quit it,” Baekhyun pouted. “I’m trying to compliment you.”

“You’ve been doing that all day. Let me have a turn,” said Jongdae, making Baekhyun laugh in disbelief.

They were quiet for a moment. Whatever Baekhyun was thinking, Jongdae was probably just as guilty. He was happy that he came to the same audition as Baekhyun, who was unlike anyone Jongdae had ever met before, but only one of them could be chosen, and Jongdae was sure that it would be Baekhyun. It had to be him. 

“I’ve got your back,” Jongdae said, unable to say what he was really feeling. He put his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder cautiously.

Baekhyun stared at the hand on his shoulder. “We’re rivals, aren’t we? We’re supposed to be at each other’s throats; not holding hands and rooting for each other.”

Jongdae pulled his hand back, but Baekhyun caught it and held on. 

“I’m not good at being serious,” Baekhyun said, squeezing Jongdae’s hand. “But I am rooting for you.” He captured Jongdae’s eyes for a second before he quickly turned away. He let go of Jongdae’s hand, leaving him to grasp at the air while staring at the back of Baekhyun’s head.

“Are you blushing?” Jongdae asked after a beat.

“No. I don’t blush,” Baekhyun said to the piano. He gathered the sheet music and walked to the door. “Come on,” he said, looking over his shoulder. His cheeks had a tinge of pink, but Jongdae decided not to tease him.

They were the first in the audition room. The other pair came in a few minutes later, just after the hour mark.

“Two and thirteen, you’ll go first.”

They had memorized the lyrics, and they were each good singers in their own right, but those were the only compliments Jongdae could come up with. They sounded as if they had rehearsed separately, each trying to outdo the other. As a result, the duet was ruined. 

The pair stayed on stage, silent and still while the judges conferred. 

“I feel bad for them,” Jongdae whispered to Baekhyun.

“You do?” Baekhyun whispered back. “SM Entertainment is mostly known for its idol groups. The judges are probably looking for teamwork, or at least the ability to get along. They made us sing a duet for a reason.”

Baekhyun spoke as though he was stating the obvious. In hindsight, that all made sense, but Jongdae hadn’t been thinking about the judges when he and Baekhyun had practiced together. Their chemistry felt so natural to him, and he wanted Baekhyun to feel the same way. 

Jongdae cut off that train of thought. He was being silly; it was a competition, after all.

“Fifteen and twenty, please go on stage.”

Jongdae and Baekhyun walked up. Jongdae let Baekhyun go ahead of him, putting his hand on the small of Baekhyun’s back.

“We haven’t memorized the lyrics,” Jongdae said once they were in front of the judges.

“That’s fine. Do you need another copy?”

“No, we can share,” said Baekhyun.

“Whenever you’re ready then.” 

Baekhyun and Jongdae looked at each other before Baekhyun nodded, cueing the judge to play the instrumental track. 

They held the lyrics sheet between them. It shook in the beginning from their nerves that transmitted through their hands, but it came to a still soon after the track began to play.

As he began to sing, Jongdae realized that he had memorized more of the lyrics than he thought. He snuck a glance at Baekhyun during their shared part and found Baekhyun looking back at him. They shared a small smile before schooling their expressions to match the tone of the song. By the final chorus, they were singing to each other and to the judges while Jongdae held the lyrics sheet at his side. When they finished, Jongdae knew that they had done well.

“Thank you. Please wait outside.”

The main hallway looked empty with just four people waiting, but Baekhyun was loud enough to fill up the whole room.

“We should have cut up our shirts,” Baekhyun said. “Like they do when they’re performing.”

“They cut up their shirts?” Jongdae asked.

“No, but they wear these really deep v-necks.” Baekhyun demonstrated by dragging the collar of his shirt down.

“What are you doing?” Jongdae laughed, covering up Baekhyun’s exposed chest with his hands. The other two were giving them strange looks.

Jongdae was already feeling good once they left the audition room, but Baekhyun made him feel even better.

One of the judges came out only a few minutes later. “Baekhyun and Jongdae, please come inside for further instructions. Heejun and Suran, I’m sorry to say that your audition process is over. Thank you for coming.”

The judge went back inside. Heejun and Suran looked sad but not surprised. They nodded to Baekhyun and Jongdae and left without a word.

“What more do they want?” Baekhyun wondered out loud. Jongdae was thinking the same thing.

The judges were talking amongst themselves when Baekhyun and Jongdae went back in. Jongdae caught bits of their conversation, but none of it made sense to him.

“…only have a few months of training…”

“…neither can speak Chinese…”

“…twelve…”

One of the judges cleared her throat so that the others would stop talking. “We would like to ask the both of you some additional questions. How soon would you be able to attend training sessions in Seoul?”

Baekhyun and Jongdae looked at each other.

“Right away, for me,” Baekhyun said.

“Yes, I’m the same,” Jongdae said.

“Do you have an interest in promoting in China?”

There was a moment of silence. Baekhyun’s mouth was slightly open.

“That sounds cool. I studied Chinese in middle school, and I liked it,” Jongdae said.

“You studied Chinese?” one of the judges said sharply. “Why didn’t you say that in your application?”

“Um… I wasn’t very good at it,” Jongdae admitted. 

“Can you say something in Chinese?” one of the judges said in Mandarin.

“Uh, um.” This was much harder than dancing. “Hello, how are you? My name is Jong- Zhong Dai… um… I… I like music. Uh… I’m sorry, my Chinese… is not very good...”

He squirmed under the judges’ stare.

“I didn’t study Chinese, but I’m interested in all sorts of cultures,” Baekhyun said, drawing attention away from Jongdae. “And I really like Super Junior-M. They made China and Taiwan look like a lot of fun.”

The judges nodded to themselves.

“We will contact you soon. Thank you for coming, and get home safely.”

They were dismissed, for which Jongdae was thankful. 

“How are you getting home?” Baekhyun asked once they were outside the audition room.

“The train. I live in Siheung- whoa!” said Jongdae once he checked the time on his phone. “It’s later than I thought.”

“I’m taking the train, too, to Bucheon. Let’s walk to the station together.”

Jongdae nodded and walked by Baekhyun’s side as they made their way down the streets of Seoul. 

“I wasn’t expecting them to ask me to speak Chinese,” Jongdae said, laughing. Baekhyun was quiet. “What are you thinking about?” Jongdae asked after a few moments.

“The questions they asked us at the end. I heard rumors that SM was planning for an all-Chinese group. But then why would they ask if we had interest in China? We’re Korean. I don’t know how I’d feel about promoting in China, to be honest. I don’t speak a word of Chinese.”

“I don’t know if you could tell, but I’m not exactly fluent,” said Jongdae. “But if they asked me… I’d go for sure. Besides, how bad could it be? Music is music, right?”

“You’re so optimistic,” Baekhyun said. “Maybe if I could sing like you, I would be, too. Can I tell you something? I love singing, but I really want to do variety shows, too. I love variety shows! But I don’t think I’d be as funny in a language I’m not fluent in.”

“You’d be great at variety. I can totally see that,” Jongdae said. Just imagining it was enough to make Jongdae smile.

“Do you want to do variety shows?” Baekhyun asked. “You’ll have to, as an idol.”

“I’m pretty shy, to be honest,” Jongdae admitted.

“Really?” said Baekhyun, surprised. Jongdae nodded. “You seem so friendly.”

“You’re easy to talk to,” said Jongdae. He had never gotten along so well with someone as quickly as he had with Baekhyun. As they approached the train station, Jongdae felt reluctant to say goodbye to him.

“Listen, Baekhyun, I…” Jongdae didn’t know what he wanted to say, so he settled on, “Good luck.”

“Same to you, Jongdae.”

Baekhyun extended his hand. It felt so impersonal just to shake hands, and Jongdae held on for longer than was probably appropriate.

“Oh, screw it,” Jongdae said, and he pulled Baekhyun in to hug him. Baekhyun hugged him back.

“See you later,” Baekhyun said after, waving goodbye with a smile.

“Later,” Jongdae said. He hoped that they really would see each other again.

\---

When Jongdae got off the train, the sun was starting to set. Even though Jongdae had been gone for most of the day, he still felt energized, so he set some rice to cook and washed the dishes in the sink. His room had been collecting debris for a while, so he threw out the trash laying around and made his bed.

His mother and father came home just when the rice was cooked. Jongdae helped set the table. His father made small talk about the local news, his way of moving on from their earlier argument. The mood was peaceful until Jongdeok, who hadn’t been home when his father and brother had argued, asked Jongdae about his audition.

“How’d it go?” Jongdeok asked casually.

“Um… it was fine,” Jongdae said, cautious. He glanced at his father, who was looking away.

“Did you get in?” Jongdeok asked.

“I don’t know yet. They said that they’d contact me.”

“Really?” Jongdeok said. “Usually they say no to people to people right away. That’s a good sign.”

“This was an audition to become just a trainee, right?” Jongdae’s father cut in. 

“Right,” Jongdae said.

There was a pause in the conversation as Jongdeok frowned at their father.

“It’s still good,” Jongdeok said.

Jongdae’s father’s face was stony, but he didn’t say anything.

“What did they have you do?” asked Jongdae’s mother.

“I sang and danced a bit, and then they had us sing a song as a pair. There was this other guy, Baekhyun – we were partners, and he was really good. He can sing really well, and he can play piano, and he’s really funny and nice. I didn’t know people like him really existed outside of movies and stuff. It’s kind of unfair to normal guys like me, if you think about it.”

Jongdae only realized that he was babbling when he noticed his family staring at him. 

“So you’re saying that they’re going to choose this other guy and not you,” Jongdeok said.

Jongdae grinned. “Maybe. It is between the two of us.”

“How old is the other boy?” his mother asked.

“Same age as me,” said Jongdae. “He’s from Bucheon. Talks a mile a minute, but you can’t help but like him.”

Jongdae’s mother gave him a considering look, while his father stared at his bowl.

“You sound like you’re in love with this guy,” Jongdeok said.

“Shut up,” said Jongdae, unreasonably embarrassed. He shoved his brother in the shoulder.

“I’m just saying. You’re competing with him, aren’t you? Don’t be so freaking nice all the time, you pushover.”

“Not everyone’s a jerk like you,” Jongdae shot back.

“Settle down, you two,” scolded their mother. “There’s nothing wrong with making a new friend. Isn’t that right, dear?”

Their father nodded. “Right,” he said shortly.

That was the last they spoke about the audition, thankfully, and they finished dinner without any other incidents. Jongdae and Jongdeok helped their mother wash up and then retired to their rooms.

Alone in his room, Jongdae allowed himself to fall onto his bed and just lie there for a while. The events of the day finally caught up to him, and he was ready to sleep when his phone started to ring.

His heart caught in his throat. He forced himself to answer it.

“Hello?”

“May I speak to Kim Jongdae?”

“Yes, this is him.”

“Hello Jongdae. My name is Chris Lee. I am a producer at SM Entertainment. I’m happy to inform you that you have been accepted as a trainee to SM Entertainment.”

There was a pause.

“R-really? Is this really true?” asked Jongdae.

“It’s true. Congratulations. We were very impressed with you.”

“T-thank you, thank you so much.”

The producer gave Jongdae instructions to report to SM Entertainment’s headquarters the next day for trainee registration and training. Jongdae had to ask him to repeat half of the information so that he could write it down. He couldn’t bring himself to ask the producer’s name again, which he had already forgotten. 

“You’ll be staying in a dorm above the training facility. Room and board will be provided. Outside food is strictly forbidden so that you can maintain your diet and nutrition plan,” said the producer. “Training is Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm, and you have Sundays off.”

“Wait, you mean I’m… I’m going to live in Seoul?”

“Yes, for the time being. You’re not going to school or are otherwise employed, correct?”

“Um, yeah, that’s, that’s right.”

“Any other questions?” the producer asked.

“Uh…” Jongdae ran down the list of things he had written down. “Oh! Um, could I ask you what happened to Baekhyun? He was auditioning, too.”

“I can’t disclose information about other auditions or trainees.”

“Oh. Okay,” said Jongdae, feeling stupid for asking. “Um. That’s it, then. Thank you!”

“Thank you, Jongdae. We look forward to seeing you.”

The producer hung up first. Jongdae stared at his notepad for a while. Then he turned in the direction of his closed door. Everything was so quiet. He opened his door and saw his parents sitting in the living room. They didn’t notice Jongdae until he started to talk.

“They accepted me as a trainee,” he said.

His parents turned their heads at the same time, each staring at him with open mouths.

“I’m starting tomorrow. They want me to move to Seoul.”

His mother was the first to recover. “Jongdae, that’s amazing!” She stood up and hugged him tightly. “That’s so wonderful. You should be so proud of yourself. Oh, we have to tell Jongdeok. Jongdeok!”

Jongdeok came out of his room.

“Go on, Jongdae. Tell him the good news,” said his mother.

“I’m going to be a trainee,” Jongdae said.

Jongdeok’s face broke out into a wide grin. He came over and clapped Jongdae hard on the back. “Congrats, bro! I knew you could do it.”

His mother put her hand on his shoulder. “I did it,” Jongdae said softly.

“Dear, Jongdae is going to be a trainee.”

“Yes,” his father said at last. “That’s… good,” he said with a sigh.

Jongdae’s mother dug up a luggage set for him to pack some clothes in. Jongdae fit enough clothes into one case and had to stop his mom from starting a second one.

“I’ll only be gone for a week, Mom. If I need anything, I can buy it or come back on Sunday.”

“But you don’t have to spend money if you take it with you from home,” his mother said, stuffing some toothpaste and shampoo into Jongdae’s backpack. “And Sunday is a long time from now. How do you know what you need, anyway? You’ve never even done your own laundry.”

Jongdae took out a box of tissues that his mother had put his luggage. “Mom, I definitely won’t need this.”

“Fine, you ungrateful kid,” his mother said. She took a tissue out and dabbed at her eyes.

“Oh, Mom,” Jongdae pleaded. He wrapped his mother up in a tight hug. “Don’t cry.”

Jongdae rocked on his heels. It felt like just yesterday that his mother was watching him from the pews as he sang with the church choir as a little boy. Now he was a head taller than her and about to leave home.

“I don’t know where you got your talent. I only knew that it would take you away from here,” his mother sniffled. She wiped her tears and turned her bright smile up at Jongdae. “Now it’s your time to shine,” she said, hugging him back.

Jongdae went to bed, but his previous exhaustion was gone, replaced by anticipation. He willed himself to sleep.

\---

The next morning, Jongdae woke up an hour before his alarm was set to go off. He could hear some noises from the kitchen after he brushed his teeth.

It was his mother, putting breakfast together for his parents and him. Jongdeok wouldn’t be awake for a few more hours. Jongdae helped his mother while his father watched the morning news.

The three of them sat at the table together. Times like these made Jongdae miss Jongdeok, who was a good buffer between him and his father. Jongdae’s father had yet to make eye contact with him.

After they ate and Jongdae and his mother washed the dishes, it was time for Jongdae to go so that he could catch the train. His mother hugged him before he left.

“Bye, Dad,” said Jongdae to his father, who was watching the news again.

“Wait.” His father got up. “I’ll drive you.”

Jongdae blinked. “Um. But don’t you have to open the store?”

“It’s okay,” his mother said quickly. “I’ll open. Go on, Jongdae.”

Jongdae’s father put on his jacket and walked to the front door. Jongdae followed him, dragging his luggage behind him.

His father popped open the trunk. Jongdae closed it after putting his stuff in and climbed in the car, where his father was waiting with the engine turned on. The ride was quiet except for the radio, tuned to the local news station.

“It’s good weather,” Jongdae’s father said some time into the ride.

“Yeah,” said Jongdae. “Not too cold.”

They didn’t say more than that until they got into Seoul. Jongdae told his father to drop him off at the train station, but his father insisted on going to the training facility.

They pulled up to the curb. It was still early, but people were on the streets, making their way to work.

“Thanks for the ride, Dad.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jongdae unlocked his door.

“Jongdae,” said his father just as Jongdae was about to get out of the car. “Call your mother when you get the chance. And work hard.”

Jongdae’s father was looking forward at nothing in particular. People had always told Jongdae that he took after his father in looks and his mother in personality, but Jongdae wasn’t so sure. Sometimes Jongdae thought that he and his father were a little too alike, to the point that they could tell what the other was thinking but not saying. It made arguments more painful, but it made apologies a little easier, too.

“Okay,” Jongdae said. “I will.”

His father pulled out some bills from his wallet. “Money for lunch.”

“Thanks Dad. I think they’ll be feeding me, though.”

“Oh…”

Jongdae took the money from his father’s hesitating hand. “Too late to take it back,” Jongdae said with cheek. His father laughed softly.

His father unlocked the trunk, and Jongdae climbed out of the car to grab his things. He closed the trunk and settled his luggage on the sidewalk, pulling up the handle. A few people were trickling into the training facility. Jongdae waved to his father and walked up to the entrance. Once he got to the door, he collapsed the handle and turned to pick up the luggage by its strap. His father was still parked at the sidewalk. Jongdae waved to him one last time before he stepped through the doors. He went to the reception area to check in. When he glanced over his shoulder, the car was gone.

Jongdae was taken to another room, where he was given a stack of papers that made up his contract. A company representative walked him through the contract and had him sign his name beside each paragraph to indicate that he read and understood each one. He didn’t really understand all of the terms, but he still signed on the final page below the words, “Signature of Trainee.” The process took two hours, and Jongdae’s head was hurting at the end of it.

A revolving door of people came in and out of the room. Various vocal coaches and dance instructors came in, mixed together to accommodate their schedules. Jongdae felt a bit like a zoo animal, performing for a revolving door of people who took notes and said little to him. Jongdae got an hour lunch “break,” but it was actually a meeting with the nutritionist over food provided by the company. After the break, Jongdae met with members of the production team, who explained the concepts for the new groups that the company had in the works. Jongdae performed for them, too.

At the end of the day, Jongdae was given a key to his dorm room. The dormitories were the floors above the training facilities. As Jongdae took the elevator up, he wondered how long he would be living and working in the same building, and whether he would have any chance to go outside and explore Seoul.

After a day of meeting new faces, Jongdae was glad to slink off and have some alone time. To his surprise, when he opened the door to his room, the light was already on.

“Jongdae?”

It was Baekhyun. He was sitting on one of the two beds, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. His face broke out in a big smile, and Jongdae found himself smiling back. Baekhyun bounded over and helped Jongdae get his things in the room so that they could close the door.

“I knew it! I knew you’d become a trainee, like I said, see?” said Baekhyun, beaming at Jongdae.

“Hey, you’re a trainee, too, aren’t you? So I guess we were both right,” Jongdae said, grinning widely.

“When did you get here?”

“This morning. I’ve been in meetings all day,” said Jongdae, dropping onto his bed. 

“Me, too,” said Baekhyun, though he seemed to be vibrating with energy. “Hey, did they give you a schedule?”

“Yeah.” Jongdae pulled out his printed calendar, with daily tasks planned to the minute, and swapped his with Baekhyun’s.

“We’ve got a lot of the same schedules,” Baekhyun said happily. “Look, you’re in C class, too!”

“I don’t think we should be happy about that,” Jongdae laughed, but if he was honest with himself, he would rather be in C class with Baekhyun than some higher dance class without him. “I can’t wait to see you dance.”

“Prepare to feast your eyes,” Baekhyun grinned. “Hey, did you eat yet? There’s food in the dining hall downstairs, and we’re not allowed to order in. Come eat with me.”

Baekhyun got up and took Jongdae by the hand. Jongdae allowed Baekhyun to pull him through the door and toward the stairwell. Jongdae wasn’t going to get his wish of being alone, but he didn’t mind. He let go of Baekhyun’s hand and slung his arm across Baekhyun’s shoulders.

“I’m glad we’re roommates,” Jongdae said. “You’re the only person I know around here.”

“That’ll change soon,” Baekhyun said confidently. “You’ll see. You and me, Jongdae – we’re going to tear this place up.”

Jongdae smiled back. He could feel Baekhyun’s excitement, and it was infectious. Jongdae had a feeling that when Baekhyun wanted something, nothing was going to stand in his way. 

“All right then,” said Jongdae. “I’ve got your back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! (And an extra thank you for the people who continue to read these silly stories of mine - I really appreciate it!) Comments and kudos are love!
> 
> For reference, here's Chen talking about how his parents didn't approve of his career choice at first: https://youtu.be/Z81HDeH8Wv4?t=37m12s
> 
> The fandom classic, Chen talking about his brother: https://youtu.be/aPd8p_1WGaY?t=26m
> 
> And Chris Lee, SM Producing Director, eating salt and vinegar chips: https://youtu.be/Ms1cQw9_IpI?t=2m45s


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